MEGA pre-schools are in vogue as two international schools in Singapore followed suit to open on Wednesday a 50,000 square metre shared campus purpose-built for children aged 18 months to six years old.

The Australian International School and Stamford American International School collaborated to launch Early Learning Village - a first-of-its-kind Reggio Emilia-inspired pre-school in a space equivalent to the size of seven football fields, said the schools under the Cognita Group in a joint statement.

The campus can accommodate 2,100 pupils and is open to all nationalities including Singaporeans. While both schools are in one location, they operate independently, supporting their respective education philosophies and pathways, said the statement.

Among the shared facilities are a 20-metre swimming pool which adapts to the competencies of the little swimmers and an indoor, air-conditioned gymnasium for specialist physical education classes and after-school enrichment.

Kevan Collins, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, United Kingdom, said: "With its innovative design and scale, the Early Learning Village is a timely addition to international school provision on the island.

"Alongside the Ministry of Education's ambitious pre-school programme, it offers further evidence of how education in Singapore is leading the world."